Almond Toffee

Almond Toffee-1-25Dating is very fun and exciting. Not only does it include the romantic, “falling in love” part, which is obviously the best part, but it comes hand in hand with all the little things that you do to win your sweetheart’s affection. Since we had a long distance relationship, dating had some challenges for my husband and myself, but we made it work, and the miles apart weren’t a hindrance. My husband used to send me flowers, the classic route,  which is almost guaranteed to thrill any girl. I still remember the warm, gushy feelings I would get every time a new box of gorgeous blooms would arrive with a sweet love note attached.

Sometimes, Sergi would send me a box of treats instead of flowers. His specialty was a box of chocolate covered Almond Toffee. Of course, I shared it with all my other family members and we would all just  devour it and then rave about how good it was.  Sergi was a very smart boyfriend and this was the perfect gift to not only endear me, but the entire family to himself. He earned double points from me too, since I loved the gesture, but having my family admire him made me like him even more. 8 years of married life later and my family and I still talk about the Almond Toffee that Sergi would send.

After we got married and I found out how much that Almond Toffee cost, I was shocked that it was so expensive. For just one pound of Almond Toffee, you pay over $20. But, it really IS so delicious that it’s worth it. However, I was determined to find a recipe and learn to make it myself for a fraction of the cost. I scoured the internet and tried different recipes until I finally found the perfect one. I wish I remembered where I got the recipe, but those were the days before Pinterest, and all I have is the hand written recipe in my cookbook.
The toffee is crunchy but not sticky and the taste of salted, caramelized butter with toasted almonds and a thin layer of chocolate is just the perfect combination. You can make a large batch of it and give it as gifts to your family and friends, or just enjoy it yourself. With some really simple ingredients, non-intimidating steps and just a little effort, you’ll have 3 pounds of Almond Toffee, for under $10, instead of $20 for just a pound. Now that’s a bargain and a fun activity to do with your children, siblings or maybe even for a date night.
Even though dating was awesome, being married is a million times better:). These days, Sergi delivers the flowers himself instead of the mailman, (he still showers me with flowers on all special occasions and regular just-because days)  and it’s the most comforting feeling of all to love and be loved year and year. He also learned a valuable lesson while dating – that food related gifts are a guaranteed way to my heart:). I adore it when he brings me little treats that he knows I enjoy, like smoked gouda cheese, my favorite tea, some Salted Caramel milk chocolate or a cookbook that I’ve been eyeing for a while.  
Ingredients:
1 pound butter, plus 1 Tablespoon to grease the baking sheet.
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup almonds, toasted (slivered, whole or coarsely chopped)
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 oz. milk or dark chocolate
3/4-1 cup whole almonds, toasted and processed into a powder
Instructions:
Almond Toffee-1-45Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and grease it with melted butter.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Use a good quality, heavy-bottomed saucepan, otherwise, your toffee will not heat properly and you could easily ruin it.
When the butter is almost melted, add the sugar and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes homogenous. It will take a few minutes, so be patient. Keep stirring until the sugar is absorbed into the butter and looks smooth, 5-8 minutes.
Almond Toffee-1-44
Almond Toffee-1-43Add the slivered almonds. You can also use whole almonds instead of slivered almonds or use any other nuts that you like.
Almond Toffee-1-41
Almond Toffee-1-40Keep stirring and cooking on low heat for another 10-15 minutes, until the mixture reaches 295-300 degrees Fahrenheit. The mixture will turn a golden, caramel color. As soon as it reaches 290, stand at attention and be ready to turn it off, because it will reach 295-300 very quickly.
Almond Toffee-1-39
Almond Toffee-1-38Please, please get a thermometer if you’re making any kind of candy. It’s very hard to tell the perfect temperature just by looking at it. If you undercook the candy, it will be a horrid texture and will probably stick to your teeth and you just might pull out a couple fillings. If you overcook it, it will become bitter and there’s no fixing it, unless you start all over again. 
Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Almond Toffee-1-37As soon as the candy is the correct temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet and quickly smooth it out.
If you let the parchment paper hang over the sides, you can later lift it right out of the baking pan. It’s not that big a deal though, since you’re breaking it apart later, all you have to do is chip off a corner and the rest is easy to take out. Almond Toffee-1-35Set it aside at room temperature to cool and harden, 30 minutes to an hour.
Almond Toffee-1-34Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a water bath. Almond Toffee-1-33
Almond Toffee-1-32You can use any chocolate that you like. I prefer milk chocolate, but you can use dark chocolate if that’s what you like.
When the toffee has cooled, pour the melted chocolate over it’s surface and smooth it out. Almond Toffee-1-31
Almond Toffee-1-30
Almond Toffee-1-29Sprinkle with the powdered almonds. Almond Toffee-1-28
Almond Toffee-1-27Set aside to chill and harden. You can set it in the refrigerator to hurry up the process or just leave it at room temperature, unless your house is very hot.
Break the toffee into pieces. Almond Toffee-1-26Store at room temperature in an airtight container.  Almond Toffee-1-23
Almond Toffee
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Sweets
Serves: 3 lbs
Ingredients
  • 1 pound butter, plus 1 Tablespoon to grease the baking sheet.
  • 2¾ cups granulated sugar
  • ½-3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup almonds, toasted (slivered, whole or coarsely chopped)
  • 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 12 oz. milk or dark chocolate
  • ¾-1 cup whole almonds, toasted and processed into a powder
Instructions
  1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and grease it with melted butter.
  2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Use a good quality, heavy-bottomed saucepan, otherwise, your toffee will not heat properly and you could easily ruin it.
  4. When the butter is almost melted, add the sugar and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes homogenous. It will take a few minutes, so be patient. Keep stirring until the sugar is absorbed into the butter and looks smooth, 5-8 minutes.
  5. Add the slivered almonds. You can also use whole almonds instead of slivered almonds or use any other nuts that you like.
  6. Keep stirring and cooking on low heat for another 10-15 minutes, until the mixture reaches 295-300 degrees Fahrenheit. The mixture will turn a golden, caramel color. As soon as it reaches 290, stand at attention and be ready to turn it off, because it will reach 295-300 very quickly.
  7. Please, please get a thermometer if you’re making any kind of candy. It’s very hard to tell the perfect temperature just by looking at it. If you undercook the candy, it will be a horrid texture and will probably stick to your teeth and you just might pull out a couple fillings. If you overcook it, it will become bitter and there’s no fixing it, unless you start all over again.
  8. Add the vanilla.
  9. As soon as the candy is the correct temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet and quickly smooth it out. Set it aside at room temperature to cool and harden, 30 minutes to an hour.
  10. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a water bath. You can use any chocolate that you like. I prefer milk chocolate, but you can use dark chocolate if that’s what you like. When the toffee has cooled, pour the melted chocolate over it’s surface and smooth it out. Sprinkle with the powdered almonds. Set aside to chill and harden. You can set it in the refrigerator to hurry up the process or just leave it at room temperature, unless your house is very hot.
  11. Break the toffee into pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

40 Comments

  • Katy

    Thanks for the wonderful story you shared with us about your dating memories! Those were some fun times that flew by. But now it’s even more enjoyable 😉 The recipe looks wonderful. I will have to make this for the holidays soon!

  • Tanya

    This is one of my favorite candies! I’ll definitely be making this! Do you think almond flour is too fine for sprinkling on top of the chocolate? Love your stories by the way! You just made me think way back about my own dating days…… 🙂

    • olgak7

      I personally wouldn’t use it, Tanya. I toasted the almonds before processing in the food processor and the small pieces are also very flavorful. I think the almond flour would be too fine and have much less flavor. It’s up to you, though.

  • Julia

    Olga, this looks soooo good! I love toffee but I can’t have any because, there is corn syrup and preservatives in the store bought kind. 🙁
    I can’t wait to try this at home. Can you tell me what kind of Thermometer do you use?
    Thanks, Julia

  • Valya @ Valya' s Taste of Home

    Oh my! I love this post! I have lots of great dating memories too. We lived in the same city and were attending same church. I loved and still do burgundy red roses, I would get fresh roses every time he came over on Saturday’s to visit me after long working week. I’m totally with you on that Olga!
    These toffees are my husband’s favorite. I have to surprise him with home made ones. 🙂

  • Natalie

    Olga, thank you so much for sharing this recipe and a glimpse of your dating days 🙂 I love toffee and cannot wait to make this recipe. This is definitely a great gifting idea for Christmas!

  • Nina

    Hi, Olechka!

    WOW! What a great idea for Christmas!!!
    I remember your post about baking cookies for Christmas gifts and I did baked for my co-workers that made everyone so special. SUCH A GREAT IDEA!!!
    I start working at new place from September and wanna make my goodies for my new co-workers too for Christmas!!!
    This ALMOND TOFFEE will be great too.
    Thanks again!!!

    • olgak7

      I always give out baked goodies to people for Christmas too and I’ve made this toffee several times to give. Have fun! I’m sure your co-workers will really appreciate your thoughtfulness and hard work.

  • bake123

    Thank you so much for sharing your Almond Toffee recipe! I made it and it’s PHENOMENAL!!! For sure the best type of toffee I have ever had 🙂

    Thanks for all of your scrumptious recipes! I absolutley love your blog!!!

  • Nadia

    Hi Olga,
    You mentioned in one of your posts that you usually half the amount of sugar in the recipes. Did you personally use all of the sugar mentioned in this recipe or did you half it?

    • olgak7

      I halve it when I use other recipes, not my own, Nadia. If I use less sugar than I specify in the recipe, I will write about it. Candy needs a certain amount of sugar or it will not turn out correctly.

  • Olga Korotkyi

    Hi Olya,

    Thanks for this scrumptious recipe. I made this toffee today and encountered one issue. My chocolate wouldn’t melt for the life of it!. I ended up making my own chocolate glaze (cocoa, butter, milk, sugar) and it turned out really good as per my hubby (I can’t have these due to dietary restrictions). Do you think it’s just the type of chocolate I had? I bought milk chocolate bits and had a dark chocolate bar sitting without a purpose. Thanks

    • olgak7

      I don’t know why your chocolate wouldn’t melt, Olga. I’ve never had this problem. You could try adding a teaspoon of butter to it; I know there are some recipes that call for a teaspoon of shortening or butter to be added to the chocolate when melting it.
      Here are a few thoughts:
      – Make sure you are using real chocolate, not chocolate-flavored chips, etc.
      – If any moisture gets into the chocolate, it will “seize”, turn into a clump and it will be very hard to fix it. If you’re using a double boiler, make sure that none of the steam gets into the bowl with the chocolate. Also, make sure that the bowl is completely dry before you start and the spoon or spatula that you are using is completely dry as well.

      I think chocolate is best to use in this recipe vs a glaze since a glaze may not set up properly.

    • olgak7

      I’ve never frozen toffee before. It stores really well at room temperature. I have read that you can freeze toffee for up to a month, but I can’t be 100% sure, since I don’t have any first hand experience.

  • galina

    Dear Olga,
    Thank you for yet another fabulous recipe!
    I made this toffee last night & tasted it this morning and it is wonderful. Will definitely add it to my Christmas goodie bags this year.
    I did run into a little issue,
    When my butter/almond/sugar mixture was around 275 degrees F, the butter started to separate from the sugar.
    I ended up pouring about 1/4 cup of it out prior to transferring it to a baking pan to cool.
    Taste and texture wise it turned out great, so I’m wondering if that was normal or was I doing something wrong. Maybe over stirring?
    Just curious!
    I appreciate any feed back as I know you’re very busy!

    • olgak7

      Butter and sugar can separate for several reasons.
      One of the main reasons is abrupt temperature change. That is why it is VERY important to use a good quality, heavy bottomed pot to make toffee (or any candy). If the out doesn’t conduct heat evenly, it can create hot spots and that would lead to an abrupt temperature change, which would make the butter and sugar separate.
      Also, keep the heat at a steady medium low, and don’t change it too quickly to high or low.
      Another thing that is very important is to make sure the butter and sugar become really homogenous in the very beginning, before you add the almonds. This might take a while, but make sure the mixture is completely smooth.
      Humidity can also cause the butter and sugar to separate, so make sure your kitchen isn’t too humid when you’re making candy.
      I hope that helps:).

  • julia

    Hello Olga,
    for those that don’t have a thermometer, I would recommend spreading some of it occasionally on a spatula- once it acquires caramel color- to see if it hardens… at least that’s what I did and it came out perfect:)
    thanks for the recipe… we loved it!!

  • gina

    hello i did this recipe last night and it turned out ok but i had oil (Butter) separating from the toffee and today i was breaking it and the chocolate wont stay on it, it comes off. did i over heated? cuz i used the thermometer and as soon as it come to 290 i turned it off added the vanilla but i still had the thermometer in and the temperature was still going up.

    • olgak7

      Here’s what I wrote to another reader with a similar question, Gina.
      Butter and sugar can separate for several reasons.
      One of the main reasons is abrupt temperature change. That is why it is VERY important to use a good quality, heavy bottomed pot to make toffee (or any candy). If the out doesn’t conduct heat evenly, it can create hot spots and that would lead to an abrupt temperature change, which would make the butter and sugar separate.
      Also, keep the heat at a steady medium low, and don’t change it too quickly to high or low.
      Another thing that is very important is to make sure the butter and sugar become really homogenous in the very beginning, before you add the almonds. This might take a while, but make sure the mixture is completely smooth.
      Humidity can also cause the butter and sugar to separate, so make sure your kitchen isn’t too humid when you’re making candy.
      I hope that helps:).

  • Yana Y

    You are a lifesaver! My boss brought a delicious almond toffee from a specialty store at another state and I cannot stop eating them. I’ve searched Pinterest but many had awful reviews & I remembered you posting a recipe so I’m so so so psyched about this. Thanks for providing a trustworthy recipe. Also, I was looking at storing information for it, they recommend storing in the fridge or freezer for best taste & freshness. Have you only kept it in room temperature?

    • olgak7

      You’re welcome, Yana. These are such a treat:).
      I’ve always stored them at room temperature, but I’ve read that you can freeze it for about a month.

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